October 15, 2016
Stags Leap Vineyard, Napa Valley
Ted held his marriage proposal to Candece at Stags Leap Winery, hoping to catch her off guard in the middle of their private morning tasting tour. Before any marriage proposal, I go in depth with the guy ensuring the most efficient photos during the actual bended knee, hoping to give him exactly what he envisions. Inevitably, nerves take over and sometimes people forget what was discussed…but that’s ok! In Ted’s case, he mistakenly forgot to turn a certain direction so I focused more on his reaction than hers! Despite this, Candece’s shock was still lingering many moments after he got down on his knee…so I still got some nice reaction shots despite the “miscue” 🙂
This was the first time I had been to Stags Leap Vineyard but I fully expect to visit here in the future because it is a very picturesque location. With its canopy seating area and the exterior castle of the building, it is a photographers playground! It is definitely a unique location combining old exterior architecture with contemporary art inside for a unique setting. What caught my attention with this particular vineyard was the wider than normal spacing of the grapes, allowing for the perfect setting for photos. Often times we have to dodge and avoid extending leaves, so the distance between the rows allow for cute Couples portraits for the good old fashioned vineyard photo.